the early days

hanging out with some old friends tonight and at one point (ok- at many points) the conversation turned to music... new and old. This got me thinking about some of the music that I was getting into around the time I was getting to know these guys. In fact- it was because I was getting to know these guys that these songs crossed my path in the first place

(disclaimer... if you don't like metal/screaming vocals, you may as well quit now)

I can still remember the first time Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest by Zao was played in my presence. I had never heard anything quite like it before... and I loved what I was hearing!! This was the first track on the CD... so chances are very good this is what got it all started!!


That really got the ball rolling... been pummeling my ears with all sorts of heavy/extreme music ever since! The following are some other pioneering songs I can recall from my youth around that same time (in no particular order)

Living Sacrifice - Reject

Extol - Undeceived

Luti-Kriss - Light Blue Collar

Embodyment - Halo of Winter

Underoath - Cries of the Past

Stretch Arm Strong - Second Chances

Blindside - Nerve

Lengsel - Revival

Project 86 - Pipedream

P.O.D. - Southtown

It was also around this time I came across a band called Circle of Dust. It was a one man project and he had just recently put out what would end up being his last CD (under that name). That release- Disengage- has always been my favorite C.o.D. release, and produced a song I still love today- Chasm. As time passed however- the man behind this band (Scott Albert... now Klayton) continued to make music- but now released it under the name Celldweller. You may have heard me mention this name before, as this project of his has become one of my music favorites.

Some of these bands are still around and putting out music I enjoy (Underoath, Project 86, Living Sacrifice [they're recently reformed after breaking up for a few years]), and others have transformed (Luti-Kriss is now Norma Jean). Some are not around anymore (Extol, Embodyment, Lengsel, Stretch Arm Strong), and others are but just don't hold my interest as much these days (Zao, P.O.D., Blindside). But in that window of the last few years of the 90s- these bands helped shape my musical tastes- at least on the heavy end... and at the very least it's been fun recalling "the good ol days"